Winning a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence can often save a project from being cancelled by an insecure politician or private client. We are yet unaware of any such project in this year's selection of winners, but we certainly know of one redevelopment proposal in Ottawa that is not the least bit worthy of an Award of Excellence. In fact, it should be cancelled until a reputable and transparent design process is established. The project in question is known as Lansdowne Live, an ill-conceived plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park, a strategically located 37-acre site owned by the City of Ottawa. Rarely has there been such a shameful attempt at redeveloping a critical site in a Canadian city, and rarely have we seen a City Council reacting with such hostility and indifference toward input from the design profession.
Lansdowne Park is the last 19th-century downtown fairground left in the country. A national historic site, it is situated between the Glebe, one of the city's most beloved neighbourhoods, and the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While most Ottawans agree that something must be done to improve Lansdowne Park and its heritage buildings as they exist today, the City has yet to indicate any appreciation of the site's importance to Ottawa's urban fabric.
Lansdowne Live is a partnership between the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG). Central to the current redevelopment proposal is a $130-million renovation of the outdated and partially demolished late-'60s Frank Clair Stadium adjacent to a rapidly deteriorating Civic Centre. But is Lansdowne Park the best site with which to woo professional football back to the city? Is it the best option for the City to allow a private developer with a reputation for mediocre buildings to profit from this project on public land? In both cases, probably not. In addition to the sports stadium, OSEG would also finance a large commercial complex on 10 acres of the site. This type of project is clearly better suited to an anonymous suburban plot of land, not a critically important site adjacent to the Rideau Canal.
As the debate has escalated over the past few months, support by local media has dwindled to the point that even The Ottawa Citizen has ducked controversy by demanding that its own staff members remove blog entries criticizing the project. Considering that certain members of the development consortium regularly place ads in The Citizen, it is not surprising to see why Ottawa's only reputable daily has been actively (if not blindly) supporting Lansdowne Live.
Responding to OSEG's Lansdowne Live proposal, the Ottawa Regional Society of Architects (ORSA) has developed a clear position statement calling for a transparent process that identifies a vision for the site that includes a multi-phased design process, legitimate public consultation, and the development of a master plan that adequately recognizes the site's heritage. The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) has strongly supported ORSA's position paper, rallying behind the efforts of Ottawa architects who are urging City Councillors to reconsider the redevelopment proposal put forward by this group of private investors and real-estate developers. In addition to support from the OAA, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has also written a letter supporting what ORSA has concluded--that Lansdowne Live is "irredeemably flawed and incapable of being improved in any satisfactory or coherent manner." Despite the pleas of the design profession, in late November, City Councillors voted in favour to hand control of Lansdowne Park over to an investor group for a period of 30 years to "improve" the site.
What has shocked many is that there was no competitive bid process or any calls for tender. We expect cities to not only do the right thing in terms of urban redevelopment, but to be perceived as doing the right thing. The Lansdowne Live proposal was clearly borne out of a flawed process. The future of Lansdowne Park deserves a proper study at the very least, not to mention an open call or design competition.
Ian Chodikoff ichodikoff@canadianarchitect.com